In early 2013, a first WDS Working Group on Data Publication Bibliometrics was started, which was subsequently endorsed in 2014 by the Research Data Alliance (RDA) as an RDA–WDS Working Group (WG) on Publishing Data Bibliometrics.

The overall objective of this working group is to conceptualize data metrics and corresponding services that are suitable to overcome existing barriers in data quality. The outcome will likely initiate a cultural change among scientists, thus encouraging more and better data citations, augmenting the overall availability and quality of research data, increasing data discoverability and reuse, and facilitating the reproducibility of research results.

Bibliometric indicators are essential to obtain quantitative measures for the assessment of the quality of research and researchers and the impact of research products. Systems and services such as the ISI’s Science Citation Index, the h-index (or Hirsch number), or the impact factor of scientific journals have been developed to track and record access and citation of scientific publications. These indicators are widely used by investigators, academic departments and administration, funding agencies, and professional societies across all disciplines to assess performance of individuals or organizations within the research endeavour, and inform and influence the advancement of academic careers and investments of research funding, and thus play a powerful role in the overall scientific endeavour.